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The software developer talent pool is endless. But the developers who truly garner traction, not to mention attention from employers, are those who have mastered time management.

Time management mastery isn't easy, and it takes self-discipline to use time in the most valuable, reliable and efficient way possible. This is true across roles in any industry, and the higher your position and more daunting your tasks, the more you must have optimal time management.

At my company, there are always 100 things going on at once. Without a study -- and continued practice -- of time management, I would honestly suffer as our leader. Executives in the software development world must keep their heads high above water to succeed, and the same goes for any developer or member of the team.

The following are eight tips that help me with time management, and I can directly attribute them to helping my company succeed.

Have A Plan

Planning is everything. We talk about this when creating software; research takes up 80% of your energy, while 20% is spent completing the actual work. Though planning won’t devour that much time, it’s as important as research when developing software.

I wake up early and spend an hour planning my day, sorting through all the important tasks I need to complete. Set up your day with a list; I have an ongoing Excel sheet. Interruptions are inevitable -- everything from an emergency meeting with a customer to something personal you have to take care of. Deviate from the task at hand if necessary, but always return to the list as soon as possible.